Tree of Salvation
by LittleDemonInside
Summary: AU. Trapped in the future, Natsuki Kruger finds herself in the midst of a war between humans and elves as each side fights for their species' survival, unaware of the looming danger that threatens to kill them all. Shizuru/Natsuki; Midori/Youko; others.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mai Hime or Mai Otome.

There are two main pairings (Shiznat and MidorixYouko) with other side pairings. There will be some OCs, but that's just because a plot of this level needs more characters than the Mai-Series franchise can offer. This story will not always be happy (some of it will be, but not all of it); it's actually split between two _very_ different settings, each setting with its own conflicts and problems they have to go through. (There's always at least two sides to every war, yes?) Serious topics such as discrimination, war and poverty will be present in this fanfiction, and this story will eventually be rated M.

Lastly, elves are popular, non-copyrighted fantasy creatures, correct? Then that means I'm free to take liberties with their body-types, magic, culture, etc. =P

All of that said, please enjoy _Tree of Salvation_! ^^

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><p><em>I'm sorry.<em>

"Mm," a cold water droplet fell onto Natsuki's cheek and her face scrunched up in protest. Turning onto her side, she sighed happily, once more feeling herself fall backwards into the welcoming arms of deep sleep. A content smile spread across her face as she drifted in and out of consciousness, basking in the comforting sounds of the forest.

This is where she belonged.

Being a police woman, she lived and worked in the heart of the city, but she always found time to slip away and drive off to the nearby Fuuka forest. She moved to the city when she left her mother's home, moved away from the log cabin she spent all of her childhood years in, but in the end she just couldn't keep away. The trees, they silently beckoned her, and only when she was surrounded by them did she find herself at peace once more.

Finally she was sound asleep, lulled by the gentle trickling of water from a nearby cascade.

_Forgive me, Natsuki._

**-XX-**_  
><em>

Natsuki Kruger grumbled in annoyance as water once again dropped onto her face, except this time it was in a small, steady stream. Her face furrowed into a scowled as she opened her tired, green eyes and leaned her body up. She turned to glare accusingly at the water as it fell off of a nearby rock, _I don't remember laying this close to the cascade._

_Oh well,_ she stood up and started to brush off her pants, _I suppose that's nature telling me it's time to go back home._ If she didn't return to the city soon, she'd miss a couple of her favorite television programs. Tonight they were talking about Ducati motorcycles- Natsuki wouldn't miss that showing for the world. The cop turned to leave but immediately froze, "Wait… where am I?"

Puzzled, Natsuki glanced around, _I don't recognize this place at all. _Kruger knew Fuuka forest like the back of her hand; she'd spent many of her days just hiking the landscape and taking it all in- there was no way she'd ever be lost.

But apparently she was.

"Alright, back up. Just look for a landmark and work from there." The forest wasn't so big that she would have to call for a search-and-rescue. In fact, if she just walked in a straight line for long enough, she knew she could reach the forest's edge by sunrise. With this in mind she started to walk, taking her mother's advice from way-back-when and following the stream's flow, glancing this way and that to see if she could spot anything familiar. Twenty minutes passed, however, and she was still as clueless about her location as before. In addition to that, Natsuki could swear that the thundering noise from a way's down sounded a lot like a waterfall of all things! _There aren't any large waterfalls in Fuuka forest! _

Okay _now_ she was starting to panic. Looking upwards through the trees to the sun's placement, she groaned, "It's already been a half an hour." It must've been nearing noon. A hand ran down her face and she sighed, "I don't have time for this." It wasn't her programs that she was thinking about, it was the potluck she was supposed to have with coworkers later today. At this rate, she wasn't going to make it home in time to shower and change her clothes. Call her eccentric but she didn't particularly like walking through the city in a white, grass-stained shirt.

_No, think about this rationally, Kruger: You took a nap by the cascade in Fuuka forest. Then you woke up next to said cascade and... got your stupid ass lost._ Natsuki grumbled, "Seriously, it should not be this hard to get out of a forest of this size. Hell, I should have at least passed a hiking trail by now!" The stream was leading her further and further into the forest with no sign of civilization anywhere. She was hesitant to continue down its path, but she had no other way of knowing which way to go.

'_Natsuki, next time you've lost your way, try listening to the trees. If you ask them with sincerity, they will guide you to where you need to be.'_

Natsuki smiled almost indulgently at her mother's memory from all those years ago, _That's right, mom taught me that one trick. _Walking over to a nearby tree, she placed her palm onto its thick trunk and closed her eyes.

It was a weird, but pleasant feeling. All of her anxiety slowly washed away and she entered an almost Zen-like state. She was completely still aside from her breathing, which had slowed considerably. Nothing in the world existed, nothing in the world mattered and all Natsuki could do was _feel_. She felt the hardy bark press against her hand, she felt the blades of grass tickle the backs her calves, she felt the gentle breeze encircle her body, stirring her long, black hair into motion before continuing along its path.

And then suddenly she knew.

She opened her eyes, feeling more relaxed and content than she remembered being in years. A tranquil smile was on her face as she patted the tree's trunk, "Thanks, bud." It wasn't as if the tree told her where to go, as trees were just trees and could not communicate. No, it was more akin to the feeling one has when they suddenly recall something long forgotten, the feeling of triggered memories pulled up from the farthest reaches of one's mind.

She turned and walked off in a northeasterly direction, the sound of the waterfall becoming louder with every step.

**-XX-**

_I thought that tree thing was always suppose to work, mom._ Natsuki scowled as she gazed at the large, raging waterfall she was previously convinced didn't exist in Fuuka forest. _Shows how much I know._ She sighed, _If I wanted a tour of the local scenery, I would've hired a guide. _Natsuki glanced upward to take in the beautiful sight before her; hey, as much as she wanted to be home, she had to admit the waterfall looked breath-taking. If she was going to be stuck in this forest, she figured she might as well make the most of her 'adventure' while it lasted.

The waterfall must've been about forty feet high, and from the amount of water that was pouring down, Natsuki guessed it fed from a sizeable river. Along the sides, trees reached out their branches, taking root between the perpetually wet rocks covered in moss. Natsuki slowly moved her eyes downward, trailing the stream's path before it collided into the pool below, creating a thin haze at the bottom. Within that haze, Natsuki watched as a naked woman bathed herself-

Wait, what?

The woman had her back to Natsuki, standing on a large, flat rock at the bottom of the waterfall. She stood tall, and even from a distance Natsuki could tell she was in shape. Nicely toned muscles flexed as the woman's hands ran through darkened brunette locks before finally landing on leans shoulders. The hands continued their slow path downward after she crossed her arms, her palms traveling down her sides before passing over her shapely rump. Natsuki's mouth went dry when the brunette spread her legs nearly bent in half, giving the cop a good view of her rear as she ran her palms up and down her calf, cleaning her leg.

It was at this point that Natsuki realized she was ogling.

_What the hell are you doing, pervert!_ Natsuki berated herself, tearing her gaze away from the tantalizing view. She was very aware of how warm her cheeks were. _Why not take a picture while you're at it! Jesus…_ (Somewhere deep in her mind, she thought that wasn't such a bad idea.) Scowling at herself more than anything, she turned around and started to walk, ready to put this little detour behind her and continue on her way.

Fate had other ideas.

Poor footing caused Natsuki to slip on the wet grass and fall, her elbow connecting with a nearby rock. She whimpered in pain, cradling the injured elbow to her torso, "Fuck shit fuck…" she seethed out between clenched teeth. It wasn't a serious injury, but at that moment it really _really_ hurt.

Natsuki waited a few seconds for the searing pain to pass and fade into an aching throb. Muttering out a few more curses, the cop slowly leaned up, still holding her elbow to her abdomen. She sighed, _Today's just not my day, is it?_ She gathered herself and was about to stand up when a spear flew into the trunk of the tree next to her head.

… _Eh?_

Following its trajectory, Natsuki's wide eyes traveled back to the waterfall. The woman was standing there, glaring at her with the strength of a thousand suns. She gave a forced, nervous smile, "Um, hey there?"

Upon Natsuki's greeting, the woman looked bemused, but that was quickly replaced it with the anger present before, "Who are you and why do you speak my language?" Her voice wasn't raised in the slightest, but it somehow still carried through with the same force as if she had. The tone wasn't harsh either, there was even a pleasant lilt, but it still had a dangerous, underlining edge. She stood there, watching Natsuki with alert, predatory eyes, just waiting for the cop to make one wrong move.

Natsuki blinked, brows furrowing in her confusion, _'Why do I speak her language'? What kind of question is that?_ "Um, Natsuki Kruger and because I was taught this language while growing up?"

"Lies!" the woman hissed as she approached, glowering at Natsuki as if she was the very scum of the Earth. She stared down at Natsuki with disdain, "You are one of those filthy creatures! A spy dressed up in a disguise and sent to try and gather information!" Scarlet eyes quivered, her red eyes ablaze in unadulterated fury, "Your kind even have the audacity to try and mimic our ears!" Before Natsuki could react, the other woman quickly walked over and bent down, harshly grabbing the cop's ear and yanking.

Natsuki cried out in anguish, her vision flashing and the pain almost causing her to pass out. She pulled away from the woman, whimpering as she cupped her right ear in her hands; she felt tears forming at the corners of her eyes and she tried to blink them away. Natsuki couldn't help but recall the younger years of her life, when she was teased by all the other kids for having pointed, overly-sensitive ears. She remembered running home to her mother and crying in her arms, asking why she had to have pointed ears and others didn't.

Steeling herself, Natsuki turned to the other woman and glared, one hand still cupping her ear. She was about to shout something when she noticed the brunette's own ears. Her eyes widened, _They're pointed like mine!_ Never before had she met someone else with pointed ears. Not only that, but the woman's ears were elongated where Natsuki's weren't, stretching back a good few inches.

The woman was staring down at her, looking both confused and troubled. Many emotions passed through her eyes before finally they hardened, darkening into the color of blood. Reaching for the spear imbedded in the tree, the brunette easily yanked it out, turned the weapon around and slammed the stick end against the side of Natsuki's skull.

As Natsuki fell unconscious, she thought she saw a woman off in the distance...

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><p>And that's the end of the first chapter. I know Shizuru seems out of character, but she has a very good reason for being as infuriated as she was (and not just because Natsuki was being a perv. XD) All will be explained, just sit tight; Shizuru will be back to her normal self soon. ^^ We'll also catch a glimpse of the human's side of things next chapter.<p>

Oh yeah! My friends and I are creating **a new "multiple yuri/shoujo-ai titles" forum**, where you can request any titles you'd like to talk and make discussions about, so be sure to check that out! It's not up and running yet, we're still doing last-minute tweaks here and there, but I'll post a link to it on my profile when it's finally open (which shouldn't be much longer now), so check back every now and then if you're interested. (One of the things we're still trying to decide on is the title of the forum, so if you have any suggestions, go ahead and send me a PM and I'll pass it on. ;3)

Please review and tell me what you think of it so far, that way I know people are interested and want to see this continued. =)

If you're an anon and would like to send me a question, please do so on my Formspring, as I can't answer your reviews on FFNet. The link can be found here (take out the spaces): **ht tp : / / formspring . me / TheLittleDemon**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mai Hime or Mai Otome.

Whoa! Seventeen reviews? That's the most I've gotten in a while, thank you! =D Well, you've all definitely shown your interest so here's chapter two. =)

As for this chapter, it turned out much longer than I expected, so I hope that makes up for the lack of... anything happening. It's one of those chapters that sets everything up, so it had to be done. (I'm trying to work on my description skills with this story. If you know of any way I can improve, please go ahead and tell me; all feedback and comments are appreciated.) Please enjoy! ^^

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><p>"… <em>but what if The Purge…"<em>

"… _Mother Earth will surely…"_

"… _Elder's daughter kidnapped…"_

Natsuki groaned, whispers floating around her mind in broken fragments. She willed them to stop, begged them to leave, but they just kept coming. _Please, I want to sleep._ She was tired, upset, and the side of her skull felt like it was being attacked by a jackhammer.

But why? She couldn't remember. She couldn't recall anything. Trying to bring up her memories only made her cranium ache that much more, so she simply gave up. _Sleep will make the pain go away,_ Natsuki reasoned, only moments away from slumber. Everything else started to fade away, _Just a few more hours…_

"_Ah, it seems she's awake. Good, somebody get her up._"

"GYAH!" Natsuki let out a startled cry as she was suddenly drenched in water. The twenty-seven year-old sat right up and almost lurched forward from a sudden dizzy spell, the throbbing pain reminding her of her injury. Her hand lifted to cradle her wounded skull and she winced when she touched a particularly sensitive spot. "Fuck," she quietly hissed. _What the hell happened?... And why am I wet?_

"Welcome, young human," a man's voice cut into her thoughts. "Welcome to the Council of Fuuka, and may Mother Earth have pity on your soul."

_Mother Earth? Council of Fuuka? What?_ A bewildered and frustrated Natsuki opened her eyes and looked around to meet the speaker's gaze, only for her breath to catch in her throat. _Wh-where am I?_

Carvings surrounded her- countless carvings surrounded her as far as the eye could see. There were carvings of tragic wars fought and times of great peace, carvings depicting both immense joy and of the deepest of sorrow; these pictures were both large and small, lining the wooden walls around her. The portrait right in front of her, however, was by far the grandest of them all: one person stood in front of a mighty tree with their arms raised up high as if to praise it. The tree, detailed down to the very last knot, stood erect on top of a large sphere, its thick roots digging deep into the sphere's core. The person was tiny compared to the tree, barely large enough to be seen in front of it, but Natsuki could still make out the figure's pointed ears. Beneath the colossal etching were the words, 'Tree of Salvation.'

In front of the tree carving was a large, semi-oval-shaped table made of wood; instead of planks, however, the table looked like it grew that way, its roots plunging straight into the hollowed trunk of the tree she was in. There were three levels to the semi-oval, the third and final level the highest with only one seat perched underneath the 'Tree of Salvation.' The room was spacious, looking large enough to fit a gymnasium or two inside it, and the structure itself was a tree's shaft that had been emptied out with two gaping entrances carved on either side. Filtered light came through the lightly swaying far branches above, finding its way inside through small windows scattered randomly about the room. The rings on the floor told Natsuki this tree must've been hundreds, if not thousands of years old.

From the highest seat sat an elderly man, his eyes almost completely squint shut as he gazed down his nose at Natsuki, "Have you any words before we start, human?"

"Yeah, a few actually: where am I? What's going on? Who are you people?" 'You people' referred not only to the men and woman sitting strategically around the half-oval table, but also to the numerous amount of people gathered around the twin entrances of the room, all of them trying to catch a glimpse of the point-eared human who spoke their language. So many were their numbers that some even lined the inner walls of the extensive room, gazing at her with contempt, yet curious eyes.

Speaking of pointed ears, Natsuki noticed that each and every one of the people that surrounded her had long, point-tipped ears. They were tall and fit, all of them looking to be over six feet in height, almost seven. (Natsuki was pretty tall at 5'9, something she always took pride in, but now she just felt like a munchkin compared these people.) The onlookers were dressed in furs and worn leather hides. The men decorated themselves in colored paints and tribal tattoos while the woman wore bracelets and anklets lined with charms. Some of the citizens wore animal masks while others opted to just have the canines of a slain beast dangle across their chest. Some had small, gold bands clipped around the outer shell of their rights ears, while other -notably younger ones- did not.

_Did I stumble onto a movie set?_

One of his pointed ears twitched, and the elderly man's already stern face darkened into a scowl. His gaze moved to Natsuki's left and he nodded, "You may now present the Council of Fuuka the information you have obtained, Shizuru."

A familiar brunette stepped forward into Natsuki's line of vision and placed her balled fist over her heart, bowing a little, "Yes, Elder Daichi."

Realizing she had been ignored, Natsuki made to stand, "Oi! What about answering my ques—" Kruger froze when she found a spear pointed right at her throat.

"Silence. Sit down," the woman now known as Shizuru commanded, glaring down at Natsuki while keeping the edge inches away from the police officer's gullet.

Natsuki glared back, meeting that red-hot gaze with her own brilliant greens. She started to devise a plan to get rid of the blade hovering dangerously close to her neck; being a cop, she was trained in various forms of combat. _If I make a move, she'll strike. Spears are made for jabbing, so if I dodge to the side, that should give me just enough time to grab her spear where the flint is tied to the stick. Yanking on that while she's attacking will cause her to lose her balance and then I'll take out one of her knees before finally—_

Natsuki found seven more blades pointed right at her neck. _Or I can just sit here quietly like a good girl._ Kruger could take on one armed person. Eight though? Not so much. She, slowly as to not agitate the guardsmen, sat back onto her haunches, and only then did they ease up a little.

Shizuru pulled her weapon back from Natsuki's throat and turned to the men and woman sitting at the table, her face impassive. "This human here," she started, gesturing to Natsuki, "approached me earlier today by the waterfall deep within Fuuka forest."

_Wait, so I _am_ in Fuuka forest?_ Natsuki was definitely confused.

"Why do you think she is a human?" one of the councilmen asked.

"Because she introduced herself as Natsuki Kruger, a human name, and she behaves and dresses like one of them as well."

'_One of them'?_

"If you think she is a human, why did you not just execute her upon first encounter?" the Elder questioned.

Shizuru hesitated. It was brief, gone so fast that anyone watching would wonder if they were just seeing things, but for the shortest of moments, Natsuki thought she saw unease pass over the brunette's face. Yet before Kruger could make anything of it, the woman's face was blank once more, "That is just it, Elder Daichi. I seek the Council of Fuuka's guidance as I am… unsure if she is truly a human or not."

Elder Daichi's frown furrowed a little more in concentration, his many wrinkles becoming more defined as his nearly hidden gaze fell upon Natsuki's form. Absently, his hand traveled down the long length of his snow-white beard, continuously patting it down as he mulled over Shizuru's words. After some time, his hand finally stopped, "State the reasons for your uncertainty, Shizuru of the Fujino clan," he asked, his voice less harsh than it had been.

Shizuru inclined her head and began, "I have two reasons: firstly, she speaks our language fluently, a language the humans have thus far never been able to decipher." Her face darkened a little as she continued, "Though the counter argument to this is that the humans have indeed found a way to decipher our native tongue, and have therefore begun teaching it to their soldiers." A soft murmur broke out as Shizuru let her words set in; if what Fujino said was true, then they had to start preparing their own counter measures immediately.

"Hm…" The Elder considered this for a while, the mere slits of his white eyes now glowing underneath the eyelids. Suddenly, he took a long, deep breath, and the earth below started to rumble, shaking in time with his old, rattling frame. He then slowly let out his breath in a silent, steady blow, and only then did the land underneath finally settle. At last he spoke, "And the second reason?"

Natsuki watched as Shizuru's carefully guarded composure cracked, the blood-eyed warrior now looking a little spooked, "Her ears…" She swallowed to wet her suddenly dry throat, "They are of an elf's."

A hush fell across the crowd like a thick blanket, all of them frozen in place at this unforeseen turn of events. Ears of an elf? Then could this woman really be…?

Elder Daichi was the first to find his voice, though it still sounded forced, "You are certain?"

"I am positive," Shizuru replied, meeting the older man's gaze. "I personally have handled her ears and they are as sensitive as an elf's. I have never known a human to cry out in anguish as an elf would when their ears are injured."

"Pfft!" She'd been trying to hold it in, she really had. Yet when Natsuki realized they were _seriously_ suggesting she was an elf, all of the giggles she had been suppressing bubbled up and the cop burst out laughing. "Okay, now I _know_ you guys are trying to put one over me. Who set you up to this? The guys at the station? Those bastards." She smiled good-humoredly, but it seemed no one else shared her sentiments. They all stared at her with varying degrees of shock and confusion; the elves would never even consider jesting about something as sacred as their ears. The mere notion was blasphemous!

Natsuki's laughter finally died down, "But elves? Really?" She wiped a tear from her eye, a large grin still plastered across her face, "They could have at least used a race that existed."

At this the crowd could do nothing but stand there, completely and utterly dumbstruck. 'Elves did not exist'? Were they not there, standing in the same room as she? Had Shizuru not claimed to physically come into contact with her just a few hours past? Even if none of these events had happened, any human _must_ have known about the elves, for their war had been going on for at least five human generations.

So how was it that this woman could sit there and claim, with so much certainty, that they did not exist?

Again, it was Elder Daichi who first broke from his stupor, "Young one, what did you say your name was again?"

"Um, Natsuki Kruger?" _Can I leave now?_

"Yes, young Natsuki Kruger," he nodded as if recalling something. The Elder continued, albeit sounding a little hesitant, "This might sound like a strange request, but could you recite to me the current Cycle of Seasons?"

Natsuki lifted a brow, "You're right, that does sound like a strange request." What was this old man talking about?

Said old man scowled at her impertinent reply, looking less than amused. Before he could comment though, one of the female councilmen from the first row spoke up. "The Elder wants you to tell him what year it is," she explained, putting it into human terms.

Beside Natsuki, the brunette let out a little gasp as she realized something. Shizuru quickly glanced at Natsuki with a searching look before turning back to the council members, "Elder Daichi, are you suggesting that she has—" But she was cut off by a simple gesture of a hand; the Fujino descendant obediantly stepped back at the sight of the Elder's open palm and waited.

Natsuki decided to just answer the question, hoping that would get her out of there faster, "It's the year 2010." As the same councilwoman translated the year back to the Elder, a fresh batch of whispers erupted among the mass of observers. _And that's getting _really_ annoying!_ Tired of being gawked at like a circus display, Natsuki turned her icy glare upon the crowd, shutting them up almost instantly. _Much better._

"I see," the elderly man eventually said, drawing Natsuki's attention. "One last question: did either of your parents have pointed ears?"

Natsuki blinked at the question and stood up, "I don't see why you need to know that. Can I just go home? Please?"

One of the men on the council's second level shot up from his chair, glowering down at her, "Insolent whelp! When the Elder asks you a question—"

"Peace," The Elder's voice cleanly cut into his rant and the councilman quickly humbled himself and returned to his seat (but not before sending Natsuki another short glare). Elder Daichi turned back to Natsuki, "You say you are headed somewhere? This forest is expansive and it is easy to get lost if you are not familiar with its terrain. If you provide an answer, I would be willing to send a guide with you until you find your way home."

Natsuki raised a brow, _Is he trying to haggle with me? Then again, a guide might not be such a bad idea- I _did_ get lost on the way back to the city._ She scowled at the memory, _And really, what's up with this forest? I don't remember it being this huge! Where the hell am I and why are these hired actors still playing their parts? Are they getting paid by the hour?_

"Your answer, please."

Natsuki frowned at his impatience, "Fine, if you give me a guide, I'll tell you." After the man nodded, she shifted her body into a comfortable position and gave her answer, "I lived alone with my mom, as my father disappeared when I was very young. I don't remember what he looked like, but from the pictures, he didn't have pointed ears. As for my mom, she doesn't have pointed ears but—" She quickly cut herself off, hoping they wouldn't notice.

But of course they did, "But…?"

_Dammit._ Natsuki let out a sigh, her posture sagging. She _really_ didn't want to reveal this to a bunch of strangers. "My mom's ears might've been long at some point, but now they're just normal. They look cropped along the top though so—" Natsuki jumped a little when the whole room let out a loud, collective gasp. She glanced around, taking in all of their horror-struck faces. Some looked at Natsuki with pity, while others looked absolutely appalled, gripping their ears with trembling hands. The crowd roared back to life:

"_Her ears were cropped? That poor mother!" "What she must have gone through…" "I think I'd die from that much pain!" "And didn't she say something about her father disappearing?" "I don't believe that for a second! That filthy human probably raped that poor girl's mother and then cut her ears!"_

"_SILENCE!_" the Elder bellow in a voice Natsuki didn't think he was capable of. The ground quaked underneath them again, shaking the tree's foundation so hard that everyone inside scrambled to find something to hold onto. After a few seconds, the shaking died down and everyone's attention turned to their village's oldest member. He sat down calmly and casually began stroking his beard, as if the earthquake never happened, "It seems young Natsuki Kruger here is a half-elf." The mere thought of a half-elf existing was inconceivable, and yet here she was, standing right before them…

Natsuki blinked, "Er, no I'm not."

Ignoring Natsuki, the Elder turned to Shizuru, "Seeing as how you brought her here, I'm placing you in charge of guiding and protecting her until she reaches her destination."

Shizuru stepped forward and placed a balled fist over her heart, "Yes, Elder Daichi." She looked over at Natsuki and gave her a small, reassuring smile. Natsuki just glared. _I don't trust you._

"Also, as she suffers from memory loss, perhaps from a blow to the head," No one noticed Shizuru wince at the memory of her harsh treatment towards her new charge, "I want you to re-teach her our customs and answer any of her questions until her memory returns. This meeting is dismissed."

Some elves flocked out of the room while others stayed behind, gathering into groups of friends and neighbors to talk about the latest event. A number of elves watched as Shizuru approached Natsuki, wanting to know more about this mysterious half-elf and waiting to see what would happen.

"Welcome to Fuuka Village. It appears I've been assigned to be your guide," Shizuru smiled amiably as she stood in front of the cop.

Natsuki continued to frown. "Yeah, I'd say 'nice to meet you,' but I believe we've already met," she ended sourly, pointedly glaring at the spear mounted across Shizuru's back.

Guilt crossed Shizuru's features and red eyes drifted to Natsuki's injured temple. The water from earlier cleaned off any dirt or dried blood that might have been there, but it looked like it was starting to form a nasty bruise. Her eyes lowered to meet Natsuki's, "I am sorry for wounding you," she apologized, "I should not have been so harsh." Her gaze lowered to the floor, feeling ashamed at how poorly she handled the situation, "Your reaction startled me and I started to doubt you were a human. Still, I was unsure, I had just injured your ear, so I was worried you'd try to strike back. In order to avoid a quarrel, I knocked the side of your head to render you unconscious, but it seems I hit you harder than I originally intended." She bowed, "Please forgive me."

Natsuki stared at the crown of Shizuru's head, _She didn't have to knock me unconscious and drag me off just to get me to come with her. We could have just talked it out at the waterfall… No, that's not true. I definitely would have fought back, had she given me the chance._ Her ear twinge a little in pain, as if recalling the yank from hours ago. After a bit, Kruger's stare softened, _But she said it was an accident and sincerely sounds sorry for hurting me… Aw, what the hey. Why not? _"Alright, I forgive you."

Fujino leaned back up to her full height and gave a relieved smile, "Thank you. May we perhaps start over?" she offered.

"Yeah," Natsuki grinned, holding out her hand for a handshake, "The name's Natsuki Kruger. Nice to meet you."

Shizuru gave the outstretched hand a quizzical look. She then smiled and reached out, gripping Natsuki's wrist in a light hold. She moved the cop's hand so her palm was facing Shizuru, and then slid her own hand against Natsuki's. Kruger gave their joined palms and confused look before glancing up to Shizuru. The elf explained, "This is the way elves greet each other."

Shizuru then gave the half-elf a warm, welcoming smile, "My name is Shizuru of the Fujino clan. It is a pleasure to meet you, Natsuki."

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><p><em>This is starting to become a daily routine.<em>

She continued to count as her steel-toe boots fell on each well-worn step. Down, down, down she went, each footfall bringing her deeper into the depths of the earth. The lighting was poor and the stairway was thin, barely large enough to let two people through at a time, but that was all right. Not a lot of people regularly traveled to the detention center.

_Aside from me, apparently._

The woman's jaw tightened at this thought as she continued along, the lit cigarette in her mouth nearly cutting in two. _I should just kill that thing and get it over with. It's not worth the trouble. _But no, it was needed alive. Once Irina cracked the code, they could use it to gather the intell they needed to finally win this damn war._ Until then, it stays alive._ She let out a puff of smoke through her nose as she stepped off the last rung, making her way towards the armored doorway leading into the detention center. _But holy fuck does it cause a lot of problems._

She was downright glowering by the time she reached the door, her already sour mood taking a turn for the worse when she received notice that, once again, their prisoner wasn't cooperating. _Not that I expected the savage to quietly behave,_ she reached up and knocked on the door, eyeing the sliding peephole expectantly.

It opened, revealing a familiar pair of tired, yet hardened eyes before closing again. A loud buzzer went off and the thick door unlatched. The woman walked through as the entrance was swung open, a man covered in grey and black body armor saluting her as she passed. She nodded back and continued on her way, quickly striding by rotting jail cells on her way to the very last cubical.

The last cell was unlike the others proceeding it. Instead of rusting bars, it had three sheets of tampered glass to separate the prisoner from visitors, with air holes placed unreachably high. Instead of dank, grime-littered floors, it was well kept and spacious, bright lights shining in from hidden holes in the ceiling. Everything in the room was made of metal: the walls, the floor, the number-locked door, and even the chair bolted to the floor. The only non-metal thing in the room was a woman who sat on the chair, fastened in place by thick locks around her limbs and torso.

As the newcomer approached, a woman sitting at a desk just outside the cell's field of vision stood, greeting their superior in a salute.

"At ease, Ms. Woods," the commanding officer directed when she finally reached the other woman. Her face softened back to its regular stoic expression, her ire fading when the intelligence officer shifted into an easy smile. "I hear she's been causing some more commotion?"

Irina Woods gave a sheepish grin, "Yeah, sorry about that Chief." The girl sat back down in her chair and wheeled over to the series of computers perched on her desk. "I would call for someone else but…" the redhead trailed off awkwardly.

"It's alright, I understand." Normally the Head of the Garderobe Rebellion would send one of her lower ranked officers down here, but after that recent skirmish at the Annam border, she was running low on uninjured men. All able hands were already tasked with more urgent matters, so that left her to deal with the trouble down below.

The intelligence officer just nodded. She gestured to the last cell containing their prisoner, "Same problem as always, Chief. We tried to get her to talk by offering her food. One guy got too close and she got a good grip on his arm. If we hadn't sedated her then and there, her teeth might have torn his muscle clean off." Irina shuddered at the memory, "Remarkably, she's already wide awake after the dosage we gave her. It's almost like they're bodies immediately work to create immunities to the drugs that enter their systems."

The Chief grimaced at this new information. She recalled being told about an emergency situation in the infirmary just a couple of hours ago. To think that it was this thing's fault… "Should the situation rise again, up the sedative's dosage. Knowing how much it takes to completely knock these guys out for a few hours might come in handy later," she ordered, receiving a nod.

Irina then sighed as she began typing away at her computer, "And to think she's usually so calm and composed. Just by looking at her, you'd never expect her to suddenly lash out like a wild animal."

The Chief's face darkened, her frigid gaze becoming as cold as the tundra as she recalled memories past, "They _are_ wild animals. Always remember that." Midori Aswad walked past the desk lined with computers and made her way into the prisoner's field of vision. There she stood in front of the glass, hands clasped behind her back as she stared into harsh blue eyes.

"We meet again, elf."


End file.
